Make Instagram casual again

I miss when Instagram was casual.

Remember when we used to post anything? A blurry mirror selfie, a photo of our lunch, a group shot with half the people blinking? Captions were either song lyrics, inside jokes or “<3.” There was no strategy, no second-guessing. Just vibes. It was chaotic, it was cringe and it was real.

Back then, we didn’t post for aesthetics, we posted because we felt something. We were bored, heartbroken, hyped or just wanted to show off our Starbucks. We weren’t thinking about grid cohesion or brand alignment. We’d slap a filter on a blurry selfie and call it a day. It wasn’t polished. It was authentic.

Now? It feels like every post has to pass through this imaginary PR team in your head. I’m not pointing fingers either, I’ve become part of the problem. I’ve deleted posts that ruined the vibe. I’ve hesitated to share something just because it didn’t match my feed. I’ve even reuploaded a story because the font didn’t feel right. It’s exhausting. When did being online start to feel like a performance?

We keep saying we want authenticity, but we’re terrified of coming off as cringe. The irony is, cringe was verity. Showing up messy, taking  unfiltered bathroom selfies and having emotional song lyrics in captions was what made Instagram authentic even if it was cringe. It was oversharing, but it was you, without all the filtering.

I used to post in the moment. Now, I overthink everything. I’ll take 100 photos to find the one that looks effortless. I’ve actually stressed over which color scheme looks better on my grid. That’s when it hit me — this is no longer about memories, it’s about performance.

Want to know the best part? Casual was iconic. It was honest. It was fun. It was us. I’d take a blurry mirror selfie or a me and my iced coffee post over another try-hard photo dump any day.

I think deep down, a lot of us miss that version of the internet — where our feeds weren’t resumes and our identities weren’t so performative. I know I do. I miss posting without trying so hard to be someone I'm not.

So here’s your permission slip: post the blurry photo, use the stupid caption. Say something real, even if it doesn’t match your aesthetic.

Social media was never supposed to be perfect, it was supposed to be us. And frankly, being a little ‘cringe’ might be the most honest thing you can do online.

The opinions desk can be reached at opinions@ubspectrum.com